The Trinity women fell behind by a goal three times during the Division III tournament, a significant hole in a sport where scoring is at a premium. And each time, the Tigers rallied for victory.

It happened again Saturday in the national championship match. This time, however, the Tigers were unable to mount a comeback as William Smith won 2-0 at Toyota Field to saddle them with their first loss of the season.

“We let up an early goal, which hurt our spirit a little bit,” junior co-captain Kelsey Falcone said. “We definitely had the chances, but it just wasn't falling. We didn't reach our goal, so it's disappointing.”

With their 23rd straight victory, the last 16 coming by clean sheet, the Herons (23-1) won a classic matchup between irresistible force and immovable object. Trinity (25-1-2) entered with 116 goals in 27 matches, the most prodigious attack in the nation. William Smith countered with a stout defense that had allowed only six goals all season.

The Tigers still carved enough space to squeeze off 24 shots, including nine on target, but was unable to find the net for the first time this season.

The Tigers enjoyed their typical advantage in possession, limiting William Smith largely to counterattacks. But while they couldn't take advantage of what opportunities they did create, the Herons pounced on theirs.

“Quite honestly, going into every game I expect that we're going to score,” Trinity coach Lance Key said. “They kept us out today. Credit to them. We created some good chances, but we didn't create enough great chances. That was the difference.”

Three plays stood out. A first-half corner kick fell to Falcone unmarked in the middle of the box that she couldn't put on net. A similar play took place in the second, when Hannah Hommel was unable to load up a free shot from close range. Then came a great save from Herons keeper Chelsea Dunay to parry Kirby Peddicord's towering free kick.

Conversely, Madeline Buckley and Krista Longo scored opportunistic goals for William Smith, the former putting Trinity down 1-0 just 11 minutes into the match.

“We didn't really mismanage the game, just a few plays,” Key said. “And that's what good teams do. They punish you for those, and we got punished today for a few mistakes.”

Men's final: Later at Toyota Field, Jeremy Payne's goal in the 104th minute secured Messiah's 10th national title with a 2-1 win over Rutgers-Camden in double-overtime.